Elizabeth Arroyo Talks about The Second Sign

Today I'm talking with Elizabeth Arroyo, the author of The Second Sign, a dark YA paranormal romance:

Tell us about your main characters:
Gabby is a strong, stubborn teen with a knack of saying what comes to mind and getting into trouble.
Jake is her opposite. He's happy-go-lucky and always on the lookout for his next adrenaline rush.
How do they change? 
Gabby learns to trust her feelings and the consequences of her actions.
Jake learns his true nature.
Give us a favorite line from your protagonist:
"Yeah, um, it didn't really dawn on me that I was saving your life." Yeah, that went well. "I mean, yeah, I woulda, but..." Jumping off the cliff seemed easier than this.
From an antagonist:
"There is no peace for the wicked."
An emblematic, teaser paragraph:
He gave her a sideways glance. If he knew what she thought, his face revealed nothing and his eyes even less. She didn't care. She'd never known a mother or a father. Max was all she had, and he too was slipping from her. She looked away from Mir and turned her gaze to her hands. Naite's warning settled in her stomach. Max had betrayed her. Their bond broken. What she wouldn't give to have someone love her. Her soul?
What keeps you going when your inspiration flags?
Reading a good book puts things in perspective for me.
What truly inspires you and fires up your vision?
It's weird, but being in the staring out to space mode fires up my creativity side. Daydreaming and/or sometimes night dreams invade my thoughts and I start writing scene by scene. Strangely enough, oftentimes, the different images connect into a larger story. So weird, I know.
Best words of advice you ever received?
Keep writing. Simple and to the point.
Worst?
Expect the worst and hope for the best. Yes, I used to say those words and try to psych myself that it wouldn't hurt, but you can't prepare for the sting of rejection. Expecting the worst is useless except to throw out negativity. What kept me going from submission to submission is the possibility of acceptance. I imagined it. Felt it. And it felt really good. That feeling kept me going.
Can you offer some writing advice?
Writing for yourself and writing for a larger audience are two very different things. Learn as much as you can about the craft. Some folks can put pen to paper and there's magic. Those are the lucky ones. The rest of us have to work at it.
Which do you enjoy writing most: action, romance, setting, dialog?
Action. I love movement in scenes, and heightening my character's emotional stress levels.
A hint of what you’re working on next?
I am working on the sequel! Yay!!
Where can readers find you on the web? My website, my blog, on Facebook, on Twitter.
Where readers can buy The Second Sign: on kindle, Amazon paperback, B&N

More about THE SECOND SIGN
Dark YA Paranormal Romance from Sapphire Star Publishing

Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn’t expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love.
     
When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.